Collapsible revolving door



July 28, 1936. B H R H 2,048,717

. COLLAPSIBLE REVOLVING DOOR Filed Feb. 28, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 ig 6 .3. 35 --3j INVENTOR IWITNESES jar/251 V/zrw/z 6%. W y

H. M W AT ORNEY July 28, 1936. B. H. UHRICH COLLAPSIBLE REVOLVING DOOR Filed Feb. 28, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 'INVENTORI m j BY 725E F/zrz'c/z ATTOR Y WITNESSES July 28,- 1936. E. H. 'UHRICH COLLAPSIBLE REVOLVING DOOR Filed Feb. 28, 1954 4 Sheefs-Sheet 3 III/4:

INVENTOR WITNESSES Z24.-

jar/75E. milk/z ATTOR Y Patented July 28, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT oer-E COLLAPSIBLE REVOLVING DOOR Application February 28, 1934, Serial No. 713,384

is Claims.

'This invention relates to revolving doors and has particular relation to revolving doors of the fully collapsible panic-proof type in which the wings of the door, although normally held in radial position, may be collapsed so as to be disposed in parallel relation on one side of the central support of the door.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved door of the above type which will present a pleasing and attractive appearance, which will operate smoothly and efiiciently and in which the several door wings are releasably held in radial position without resorting to the use of cable looks or brace arms between the wings.

it is :a further object of this invention to provide a spring-pressed retaining mechanism for revolving doors to hold the wings in radial position while in normal operation, Which has conveniently located means for manually controlling the tension upon the springs, and also automatically operable means for increasing the tension upon the springs whenthe wings are in radial position and for decreasing the tension when the wings are in col-lapsed, or partially collapsed, position.

Other objects will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective View of a revolving door structure embodying features of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view showingthe upper surface of one of the wing supporting elements and :a cross section of the four door wings in radial position;

Figure 3 is a plan view of a wing supporting element showing in full lines the grooves on the upper surface of the element, and in dotted lines, the grooves on the lower surface of the element;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows along the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a plan view similar to Figure 2 with the door wings in fully collapsed position;

Figure 6 is a detail view in cross section taken .along the line .66, in the direction of the arrows, of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a front elevation of one of the door wings, partially broken away, and with some of the intermediate portions omitted, showing in detail the novel retaining mechanism for releasably holding the door wings in radial position;

Figure 8 is a cross section taken in the direction of the arrows along the line 8-8. of Figure 7; and s Figure 9 is a sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows along the line 99 of Figure '7. 5

The revolving door illustrated in the drawings includes a central spindle l, suitably journaled at its upper and lower ends in the ceiling and floor, and having two similar wing supporting disks 3 secured thereto at a short distance 10 from the upper and lower ends respectively. Four door Wings, designated by the numeral 4, are supported by the disks 3 so as to be normally held in radial position so that the four door wings, the disks 3 and the spindle may all rotate together, but a suitable connection is provided between each door wing and the disks so that under abnormal pressure, as in "a panic, all of thewings will collapse into parallel relation on one side of the central spindle l. The wing supporting disks 3 may be cast of any suitable metal and are preferably in the form of' circular disks having eight flattened portions 5 formed on their peripheries for a purpose hereinafter to be described.

To connect the door wings with the disks, a plurality of straight grooves, one for each door wing, are formed on each face of the disks, and since in the present illustration, the revolving door is provided with four door wings, each face is provided with four grooves, the grooves on one face being indicated by the numerals =6, 1, 8 and 9, and the grooves on the other face being indicated by the numerals 6A, '|A, '8--A and :9A. The grooves on each face are disposed tangentially, generally in the shape of a square, all of the. grooves being spaced an equal distance from the center of the disk and each groove extending from the periphery of the disk to within a short distance of the next adjacent groove. Each 40 groove is disposed 'at right angles to the next succeeding groove and the grooves on oneface are disposed in the same vertical planes as the corresponding grooves on'the other face of the disk. However, each of the grooves on the upper face is extended to the periphery'of the disk at the opposite end to that groove on the lower face which is disposed in the same vertical plane. groove 6, as shown in Figure 3 is extended to the periphery of the disk at its right end, while groove BA on the lower face is extended to the periphery at the left. Because of this construction, the vertical plane of each of the grooves on the upper face will be intersected at right angles by the vertical plane of one of thergrooves V is 4'5 a fully collapsed position, as shown in Figure 5.

on the lower face. Thus 'in Figure 3, it will-be seen that the vertical'plane of the groove 6 on the upperface is intersected by the vertical. :plane of groove 9-A on the lower face, and

this is equally true of all of the grooves. a

It will be understood, of course, thatwhere only three door wings are used, it will only be necessary to, provide three grooves on each face ofthe disk. The grooves will thenpbe disposed generally in the form of a triangle but will be formed substantially in the same manner as the grooves described above, each extending to the periphery of the disk at one end and being spaced an .equal distance from the center..

Each of the door'wings. is provided with es-f cutcheon'plates I0, which aredisposed on both faces and the inner edge of thedoor wing adjacent .the'pointof connection with the wing supporting disks3. The .escutcheon plates and door Wings are provided with slots or recesses i l to per.-

- mit of the entryof the. disks and the es'cutcheon plates are extended through the slotsso as to provide the plates '24 forming the upper and slower edges of the recesses. Projecting laterally from either side of each door wing and integral with the escutcheon plate immediately above and below therecess H, are the ears l2 and" I3 re spectively, to Which are pivotedyas' at M and I5, the guideshoes I 6 and H, the former being fitted in the grooves formed in the upper surfaceof V the disk,'and the latter being fitted in the grooves formed in the lower surface of *the disk. The

' guide'shoes are preferably made of metal and are made'to ride snugly in the grooves.

instance, the guide shoes l6 and IT engage the In each grooves of; the upper and lowerfaces of the disk respectively, whose vertical planes intersect at right angles. .Since the, shoes l6 engagethe grooves in the upper face and the shoes I] engage I the grooves in thelowerface, it will be seen that each'doorwing will be firmly supported by 'the "disks, and since the shoes are disposed in grooves,

whose vertical planes intersect at right angles,

: teach door wing'will' be permitted to move from a normal radial position, as indicated-in Figure 2, to

a V For example, when the wing' l, disposed in the up- I shoes ride in the grooves?! and 8--A, swings to the '50 per right-handportion of Figure 2, whose guide position shown-in Figure'5, the shoe l1, riding in the lower groove 8-A, will slide in its groove toward the left,'and the shoe IE will slidedownwardly in its groove 9until the shoe. l1 intersects the vertical plane of thegroove 9. From that point on the'shoe l'l'willicontinue sliding to the left in itsgroove 8A', but the shoe will then slide upwardly in its groove 9 until the door wings have assumed the position illustrated in Figure 5. V

-Slot II, which permits of the entry of theldisk into the door wing, is extended into the body of the door wing beyond the point Where the disk enters when the door wing is in normal radial po- V sition. Ihis is 'to permit ofthe full collap'sin'g' of the door wings, at which time the disk necessarily enters further into the body of the-doorwing. A

closure l8, preferably formed of spring metal," is

secured by.means ofthe pressure screw 19 into the door wing so as to extend through that portion of the recess II which is normally unoccupied by.

the disk. This closure may be flexed in either direction, but due to the fact that it is made out of spring metal, it will always return to its normal position, filling up the unoccupied portion ofthe.

recess when-pressure upon ithas been released.

Thus, when the doors are collapsed, .asshown in Figure 5, closures I8 of the door wings which have pivoted the greatest distance relative .to the di sk, V in collapsing, will be engaged by one of the fiat tened portions 50f the'disk and be flexed outwardly. It is for this purpose that the disk isprovided'with the flattened portions5 so that when the closure l 8 is flexed outwardly, its outer end will was circular throughout its entire periphery.

engage the flattened portion '5 and will fit V smoothly and flatly against it without. the projection which would necessarily result if the disk To maintain the door wings'in radial position during normal operation, the upper surface of the lower diskand the lower surface of the upper disk are provided with four small circular recesses 2Q,each disposed in the vertical plane of one ofthe door wingswhen in radial position.

Each recess may be provided with a cylindrical,

lining 2| formed of a suitable metal and of a size to receive a latch member, such as the steel plate 24 immediately opposite recess .20 when'the 20 ball 22, held in a socket" 23, which is securedin Z doorwing is in radial position. "Thecircumferi.

ence of the lower end ofthesocket 23 is of such a size as to permit a portion of .the ball topro- .ject and engage the recess 20. -HOW6VIfit is made small enough to prevent the ball frorn'passing completely, therethrough. Suitable 'mechanism to urge the ball '22 into engagement with. the recess 20 is provided and it comprises a tog- D gle joint composed of the link 25 pivoted-at one end, by means of the pin 26, to theescutcheon plate I 6 and pivoted at'the other end, by thepin i 28, to the link 21 which is provided with a socket V at its end for engaging the ball 22. shank 29 is also pivoted to the links by means of the pin 28,-and screwed on the threads'is a 'collar' 36, which engages one end of a spiral spring 3|.

Athreaded Q Thus the tension on the spring may be varied by shifting the position of thecollar upon the V The 'pressure of the I spring 3! upon the toggle joint should be such as screw threaded shank 23.

to press the'bali 22'into' recess. 20, "to holdthe door wing in radial position under. the usual pressure encountered in the operation of arevolving door. However, under abnormal pressure against opposing door wings, such as occurs during a panicflthe spring must-,permit'the ball 22 to withdraw from recess 29 so that the door wing may move out of radial position intocollapsed ,position;

, Sometimes it is desired to collapse the wings of a revolving door during warm'weather'or to permit the entry of large objects To facilitate the collapsingof the door wings under such conditions, manually controlled means areprovide'd to relieve theften'sion upon the spring. For this f reason the end of spring 3| preferably eng&gQ andis held in position by a recess 32 formed in a shiftable wedge block 33 which is provided with a beveled, face 34 engaging the wedge 35. Op-

posing the beveled face 34 of the wedgeblock 33 is another shiftable wedge block 36 which is engaged by the opposite [side of the, wedg'efi35.

The wedge blocks and the wedge are so formed that by shifting the wedge 35 .idownwardly,'the

wedge block33 will shift away from the toggle joint, thereby relieving the tension of the spring 3i and in order, to provide a simple andconvenient means forsimultaneously controlling'the tension of both theupper and lower spring on each door wing, the, upper and lower wedges 35 of each door wingare mounted upon rods 31'and38 respectively. The lower end of'rod 31 and the upper end of rod 38 are threaded and are screwed into threaded openings formed in opposite ends of the slide piece 39 disposed in a recess formed in the door wing approximately midway between the top and bottom of the door (see Figs. 7, 8 and 9). The recess is covered by means of a plate 40 provided with a vertical slot or opening in its central portion in which a manually operated lever 4| ispivoted. The lever extends approximately from the point of pivot to the end of the groove and the groove is preferably provided with enlarged end portions 43so that the lever may 'be conveniently grasped between the fingers. The opposite end 44 of thelever is disposed at an angle to the handle portion so that the lever resembles somewhat a bell crank, and'this end engages an opening 45 formed in the face of the slide piece. When the lever 41 is swung to its uppermost position, the slide piece 3B, the rods 38 and 3'1 and the upper and lower wedges will be shifted downwardly, thereby permitting the wedge blocks 33 to shift away from the toggle joint and relieve the tension of the springs 3I. When the retaining mechanism is in this position, the door wings may readily be swung to a fully collapsed position, as the spring will offer practically no resistance to the removal of the ball '22 from the recess 20. However, when the lever AI is pivoted downwardly,

'as shown in Figures '7 and 9, the slide piece 39, the rods 31 and 38, and consequently the wedges 35, will be shifted upwardly, causing the wedge blocks 33 to move toward the toggle joint and the tension of the springs 3I will accordingly be greatly increased. When the retaining mechanism is in this position, the ball 22 will be strongly urged by the spring 1-H, acting upon the toggle joint, into engagement with the recess 20, and the door wings will remain in radial position under the pressure exerted during normal operation and will only collapse when abnormal pressure is exerted in opposite directions upon opposing door wings, as occurs during a panic.

In addition to the above described manually controlled means for relieving the tension of the spring 3|, automatic means are provided whereby the tension on the spring is greatly increased when the wings are in normal radial position but is instantly relieved when the wings are moved into collapsed or partially collapsed position. means comprises a cylindrical projection 4 6 formed on the face of the wedge block 36 towards the spindle I and provided with a threaded opening in which is screwed the set screw 'E 'I. The cylindrical projection 4'6 and the set screw H project from the inner end of the door wing through an opening formed in the end portion of the 'escutch'eon plate facing the cent-ral spindle I. The wedge block 36, block 33, and the wedge 35 are mounted so that they may be shifted laterally, and it will be seen that the spring 31 will tend normally to "urge the wedge block 33, the wedge '35, and accordingly, the 'wedge'block 36 towards the inner end of the door wing. When the wings are out of normal radial position, the projection '45 and set screw 41 can projec't outwardly beyond the inner end of the door wing, and the wedge block 36, wedge 35, and wedge block 33 will shift to the left thereby decreasing the tension of the spring 3I as shown in Figure -5. When the 'doors are shifted to radial position, however, the end of the set screw 4?! will engage the surfaceof the spindle I and :will be forced inwardly, shifting the wedge block 36, the wedge 3.5, and the wedge block 33 toward right, ass shown in Figure 7, thereby increasing the tension upon the spring 31. It thus be seen that when'the greatest spring tension is needed, namely, when the wing is in normal ra dial position and the ball 22 is in engagement with the recess 2 0, the automatic mechanism just described will operate to increase the tension of the spring 31. the wing is moved out of radial position the tension of the spring de crossed and the ball 22 will not be pressed against the face of disk to obstruct the coll'aps'ing of the door. By varying the position of the set screw 41, the tension of the spring, while the'wings are in radial position, may be adjusted.

inner end of each door wing adjacent the central spindle I is preferably formed with a vertically extending arcuate or \I-sh'aped indentation 48 in its central portion in order to enable the door wing to fit in closer engagement with the *central spindle and the inner ends of the escutcheon plates ID are likewise provided with arcuate indentations for the same purpose. However, the :escu-tcheon plates are also provided with taperingprojecting portions 49 extending from their central portion, which engage in similarly shaped "openings 50 formed in the surface of the central spindle. These projections are preferably formed on both the upper and lower escu'tcheon plates of each door wing and serve to hold the door wings more firmly when they are in their normal radial 30 position.

Thus, it will be seen that *a revolving door has been provided in which the door wings "are'hel'd firmly in posit-ion when in normal operation but which will permit of the full collapsing of the door wings without any jamming when abnormal pressure is exerted upon opposing door wings. *It will also be seen that eiiective retaining mechanism has been provided for 'releasably holding the door wings in radial position and which has manual and automatic adjustments which will insure its positive operation;

Of course, it will be tmderstood that many modifications may be made in the herein illustrated and describerzl embodiment, such as -45 changing the nuniber of door wings and the number of grooves provided 'in each of the disks, and such as altering the positions'of the retaining mechanism and the "adjusting means provided therefor.

What is claimed is:

1. In a collapsible revolving door structure, a rotatable spindle, a "disk secured to said spindle and provided a pair of straight grooves whose vertical planes intersect at rig-ht angles, and a door wing provided with a pair of shoes engaging said grooves, said shoes being shiftable along said groovesv in straightlines at right angles to each other and being pivota'lly secured to said door wing so that said door wing may shift into and out of radial position with respect to said :disk. 7

2. In :a collapsible revolving door structure, a. rotatable :spindl'e, a disk secured to said spindle and provided on opposite faces with a pair of straight grooves whose vertical planes intersect :at right angles, a door wingpand a pair of shoes eon said door wing and engaging said grooves, .said shoes being shiftable al'ong' said grooves straight lines at right angles to -'each other:a,'nd 710 being ,p'rvotaily secured to said doorwing so that said :door wing may :shift into and out-of radial position respect tosaid :disk.

In a mollapsihle :revolving door structure, a rotatahleispindle, a {disk secured to spindle,

20. l saidreeessto releasably hold. the door wing in a, door wing, -a,nd, ;as pair of pivotal connections betweenwsaid disk and doorjwing, said connectionsbeing-shiftable in straight'lines atrright anglesto each oth r," l

l -4. Theicombinationwith; a rcollaps 1e revolving; door structure havinga rotatable spindle, a

7 disk securedlto saidspindle,,aj-recesslformed in saidldisk,;a,dovorewing having pivotalloonnection with, said disk, and 'a shiftable member mounted on said, door ;wing an dz engage'abl e in said recess to releasably hold thedoor wing in 'radial posi tion, of a spring-pressed toggle jjoint mounted in said door wing and engageable with. said r h ftable ember tqr u e n it t en a m n withsaid'lrecess g l -5. V {In a,- cl1apsible ;.reyolving' door structure, a:

. retatablelspindle, a disk secured, tosaid spindle,

acces io med n sa did s' a d or .w ns. av n pi ta nnect 'W hi s d dis a ,m mb mQlmted on; said doorrjwing and engageable .in

radialpositiori means including ar spring for i Qaeircular recess formed-in said disk, a door wing provided with a socket and having pivotal oon urging said; member into engagemenpwith said recess =and m eans including a shi ftable spring mo nt n s ide ber:Pr ii sb o d the inner end of said door wing and cooperable, with the eentral spindle ,to varytheztension oi said pri stlie wir r m es and out r d {collapsible revolving door structure, a. spindle, 'a disk secured to said spindle,

nectionjwith said disk, aba llfheld-linsaid socket and engagea ble; in said frecess means including 7 a jtoggle joirjt anda spring fornrging said, ball into engagement withsaid recess, a shiftable nting fo-r said springand-means including a ber projecting beyond the innerendoi said andi engageable said spindle for J shifting the position-0t said: spring; mounting as the door moves into and out of radial position. l7. In a; collapsible revolvingdopr structure, a

1 rotatable spindle, a pair of disks, each provided ,witha circular recess, a door wing mounted on sai'didisks for pivotal movement, shiftablemembersimountedon said doorwing and engageable vei e ies ses o d e. wi s n ra a p si qee ai l s r s e' 'i r in a mem: bers into engagement with the recesses and manually operated means ier; simultaneously ,controlling the tensionog both gtsaid springs.

I ,8.;'In a collapsible revolving doorstructure, a

rotatable "spindle, a pair of V disks each provided with 1a ,recess, a door. wing -mounted on said disks, for pivotal movement, shiftable --members mounted on said door wingand engageable with fs re se to hold t ine radial position, a pa rof springs forurgingfsaid; members into engagement with; therecessesgand manually oper-' ated rneans including shiftable spring mountrings for each, of said springs and a lever for a shifting said mountings ffor simul-taneously conj disksJ-for'pivotal movement, shiftablev members trolling {the tensiQOno-f; both of saidrsprings. g 9;? In a collapsible revolving door structure, a

rotatablespin'dle, ,a pair of disks; each; provided with a recess, j-a doorqwing mounted on said mount-ed ,o-n said door wing andengageable with 'said-recesses to hold thewing in radial position,

ent-pair of; springs :for urging said .;inembers' into [engagement with :the recesses; manually :operated means for simultaneously controlling the tension of bothof said springs, and automaticablygeoperablecmeans ior'r-yarying the tension of said springs as thedoor wing: moves :into and out of radial position.

10. In a, collapsible revolving dooristructure,

a rotatable spindle, a'disk secured to said spindle, a door wing. connected to said disk for pivotal movement, and meansflforreleasably holding said door wing in radial; position, saidmeans coi f plising a ball-andesocket connection between said L disk and door wing and a taperingpr'ojection ,on

the'inner end of said (100: wing engageable 111,3;

similarlyshapedopening formed in. the spindle;

1'1.'In a collapsible revolving door structura a 1 rotatable spindle, a pairro f disks: secured to said spindle and each provided with a pair ofstraight grooves whose vertical planes inter'sect at right angles, a: door Wing, four guide shoes pivoted to said door wingandengaging said grooves, a circular recess formed in each disk,"shiftablemem said recesses, means includinga pairgo f springs for urging said members into engagementwith said recesses, means for'manually controlling the tension of both of said springs simultaneously,

and means for automatically varying'thetension' of said springs as the deer wing moves into and out of radial position-g.- t

12 In a collapsible revolving oo swarms bersmounted on said door wingand engageablein rotatable spindle, adisk secured-to saidspindle, a 7

door Wing connected to said disk for pivotal move ment andprovided with aslot engaging said disk said disk extending into :said slot forya portion only of the depth of the slot when the door wingis in radial position, and a flexibleclosure secured to said door, wing, and extending through there maining portion ofthe slot I T 13. In a collapsible'revolving door structure, a

rotatable spindle, a door wing provided with a slot, aflexible closure secured to saiddoor wing and extending through a'portion of said slot, a g 7 disk seouredto saidspindleand extending into said slot, and a pivotal connection between said door wing and disk so that the door wing is shift:-

able from a radial to aqcollapsed position said closure extending to the periphery iof the ,disk '7 V when the door wing is in'radial position, and said disk being provided with a fiatten ed portion in its periphery against which the closure rests when the door wing. is in collapsed position: a

7 14. 11 accollapsible revolving door structnre a rotatablespindle, a disk secured to and rotatable With said spindle, a door 'w-ing connected to said disk for, pivotal movement, and means: including a circular recess in said disk and'a ballfand a springrpressed toggle joint in said'door wing for releasably holding'said Winginradialposition, 1

15.-}In a collapsible revolving door structure rotatable spindle, a pair of disks mounted on said spindleeach provided with afre'cess, a;door wing mounted on said disksforpivotal movement, a pair of; shiftable members, carried bysaid door wing each engageable with one of, said recesses to hold the wing in radial position, apairof springs forr urging' said; shiftablemembers into, "engagement with said. recessesadjustable means disposed inside said door \vingforgindep'endently adjusting the tension of each of saidsprings'and meansincluding an exposedmanipulator; for Isi- 'multaneously releasing the tensiorrof both. of said springs; 16. In a collapsible revolvingid'oor, means for spindle of the door comprising arrecess formed in';

said'disc, a detent mountedvin the door wing and engageable with said recess. atoggle eengaging V "0, releasably'locking a door wing in radial. position 'with respect-to. a disc mounted on the central said detent and a spring engaging said toggle to urge said detent into engagement with the recess.

1'7. In a collapsible revolving door, means for releasably locking a door wing in radial position with respect to a disc mounted on the central spindle of the door comprising a recess formed in said disc, a detent mounted in the door wing and engageable with said recess, a toggle engaging said detent, a spring engaging said toggle to urge said detent into engagement with the recess, means disposed inside said door wing for adjusting the tension of said spring and means including manipulator exposed on an outer face of the door wing for releasing the tension of said spring.

18. The combination with a collapsible revolv-' ing door of the type comprising a rotatable central spindle, a disc mounted on said spindle and a. door Wing secured to said disc for pivotal movement, of means for releasably holding said door BURNS H. UHRICH. 

